So I got everything loaded up, truck, trailer, dog, backed the truck up pretty close to the trailer to hitch up and got out of the truck and went back see how close I was. Stood there and looked... square pipe at truck... round coupler on trailer... square to round...round to square...looked at it for a couple seconds, thinking to myself, "It's only been a couple months since I've been out, why can't I remember how to hitch up?" And then I suddenly realized my truck hitch was gone! Now, I realize most of you are smart enough to store yours everytime after you return from a trip, but I wasn't. I live in a small town where people usually leave things alone. So, unload the dog (who is very confused by now) and put her in the house, pull up the truck, close the gate, and off to Auto Zone for a new hitch. My neighbor suggested that hitches are heavy enough to be worth stealing for scrap metal, or maybe for reselling at the swap meet. So, now I'm taking mine off every time.

We have an equalizer hitch now, so too darn big to leave on. SO it comes off every trip.
But with our Boler we left the hitch on always. BUT, it was locked on to the vehicle.... So they would have to try harder to get it off--would at least take more time.. Just a good quality padlock and then I felt more secure with the hitch too.....

Grrrrrrr, I HATE thieves. I never take the hitch and ball off my truck, but it's locked on. The lock is not only to keep the receiver from growing legs, but it's to help prevent anyone from messing with the trailer hitch area when I'm under tow and parked someplace... like stopping for lunch! I of course, check the coupler before I pull out anyway.

See if there's anything here to help. You can buy this stuff at any RV parts place, WallyWorld or at a lot of auto parts stores: Trailer Hitch Locks

Get the locking hitch pin from Wally World, about $15.00 bucks, like all locks its just a deterrent but it works well. I leave mine on my Odyssey as a safety net for rear end collisions and also I don't have a lot of storage space.

__________________Love being Inneggsileheading sloowly up the eastcoast to our next 2 month (Aug and Sept) camp hosting gig at Camden Hills State Park in Maine

If it sticks out from the bumper more than 8 1/2" here in Sask. you can get a ticket, although I have never heard of anyone getting one. If you leave it in over our winters with the snow and salt it will rust in and nobody can get it out!